Marcus Freeman didn’t need a whiteboard to explain Notre Dame’s defensive resurgence. His halftime message against NC State said everything: “Stop beating Notre Dame.”
Two weeks ago, that sounded like a challenge. Now it’s become a standard. Against NC State, the Irish turned in their most complete defensive performance of the season — 233 total yards allowed, 51 rushing yards on 28 carries, four sacks, three interceptions, and a safety. The numbers only tell part of it. What’s changed is the cohesion — a defense finally playing like it sees the game through one set of eyes.
The Reset: Accountability and Alignment
Freeman has been open about how things flipped after the early-season frustrations. “You come together, double down, fix it… and that’s what they did,” he said Saturday. “This is our defense. It’s ours. The buy-in you’re seeing now is the reflection of that.”
That buy-in has shown up in every phase. NC State managed just five third-down conversions on 16 tries and never found rhythm again after halftime. “I think it’s just comfortability and playing together,” Adon Shuler said. “You can see we’re out there having fun, and it’s fun when you’re doing your job and the coaches trust you to make plays.”
Freeman called it accountability. The players call it brotherhood. Either way, the communication and trust have finally caught up with the talent.
Pressure and Coverage in Sync
Early in the season, the Irish front struggled to generate consistent pressure. That problem looks solved. Boubacar Traore led the charge with two sacks for 21 yards, while Jalen Stroman and Elijah Hughes each added one.
“Just going back to the basics,” Traore said. “Doing everything extra, staying after practice. When we rush as one and play together, good things happen.”
Those “good things” included three interceptions — one each from Shuler, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and Karson Hobbs — each a direct product of coordinated pressure and coverage. “Usually it’s the front and the coverage that helps you with all those things,” Freeman said. “It’s a result of guys executing on that play.”
Violence With a Purpose
The Wolfpack came in averaging over 150 yards on the ground. They left with 51. The Irish set the tone early, closing lanes before they opened and tackling with intent.
Traore said it came down to trust: “We made it a point of emphasis to not let three (NC State RB Hollywood Smothers) do what he does. He’s a great player, but our emphasis this week was just to play our ball — play violent — and just play as one.”
Notre Dame’s front swarmed NC State’s running backs before contact, holding them to 1.8 yards per carry and forcing a string of long-yardage downs that never had a chance.
The Leadership Piece
When things weren’t going right earlier this season, Freeman didn’t sugarcoat it. “You blame, or you fix it,” he said this week. “They chose to fix it.”
That message was echoed by Shuler, who pointed to the unit’s midseason gut check. “It was a lot of not-togetherness, and it wasn’t the Notre Dame standard,” he said. “We had to get back to playing our style of football and make sure they know they’re playing Notre Dame that week.”
Shuler’s interception in the fourth quarter — returned 44 yards to set up points — felt like a physical manifestation of that standard. It wasn’t just the play; it was how the sideline reacted. Everyone pointed back to him, smiling. The swagger had returned.
One Play, One Life
The defense’s new rallying cry is simple, and it came straight from Adon Shuler. “One play, one life,” he said. “That’s kind of been the mindset from the beginning of the season.”
For Shuler and the rest of the unit, it means exactly what it sounds like — total focus on the snap in front of them. “You can’t dwell on what happened the last play, good or bad,” he said. “You have to focus on what’s now. Especially playing at Notre Dame — offenses are going to show you different looks, and you’ve got to stay calm, cool, and collected.”
That mindset has fueled the turnaround. Since the halftime of the Purdue game, the defense has played with the discipline and urgency Freeman has demanded — reset every play, no excuses, no carryover. Against NC State, that mentality showed up in real time as the Wolfpack’s final nine drives ended in five punts, three interceptions, and a safety.
A Defense With an Identity Again
Freeman credited coordinator Chris Ash and the leadership core for the turnaround. “He’s the leader of the defense,” Freeman said. “And I give the players the credit for buying in and working. Our captains like Adon and Donnie (Hinish) and Drake (Bowen) have done an unbelievable job making sure our guys are practicing the right way.”
Traore agreed: “Whenever the defense is down, the offense has our back — and vice versa. We’ve got to have each other’s back when times get rough. That brotherhood allows us to really complement each other.”
After back-to-back dominant showings, that chemistry is evident. The communication is sharp. The violence looks intentional. The smiles are back.
Notre Dame’s defense isn’t just surviving anymore. It’s dictating. And for the first time this season, it looks like the group Freeman envisioned — unified, fast, and confident enough to say out loud that the standard is finally back.
